Releasing device for automatic vending-machines.



O. OEHRING. EELEASING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 3, 1910.

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Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR OEHRING, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STAMP & TICKETVENDING MACHINE GO., OF NEVI YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RELEASING DEVICE AUTOMATIC VENDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application filed March 3, 1910. Serial No. 547,087.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR OEHRING, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,and resident of 100 Urbanstrasse, Berlin, Germany, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Releasing Devices for Automatic Vending-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic vending machines operated by anelectric motor, the current for vitalizing the same being interrupted bymechanism operated by the coin deposited in the machine.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, and positivelycontrolled mechanism operated by a coin for closing an electric circuitthrough a motor for a predetermined time, after which means controlledby said motor is caused to release the coin from the position wherebysaid circuit is held closed, breaking the electric contact andpermitting the cointo fall into the receptacle provided for it.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coin chute and operative mechanismconnected thereto; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same, looking in thedirection of the arrow a Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top plan view of the same.

In electrically operated vending machines of a certain type the circuitthrough the motor is closed by the metal coin itself passing betweencontact points, but in machines of this type, because of the differentkinds of metal of which the coins are made, and the fact that they aremore or less oxi dized and covered with dirt, satisfactory conductivitybetween the parts is difiicult to obtain and hence the operation of suchma chines is uncertain; also in said class of machines the period oftime within which the circuit is closed, is but momentary because of themore or less rapid movement of the coin between the contacting points.It is therefore desirable to provide means for closing the circuitoperated by the coin and held closed for a certain period of time beforethe circuit is broken. For this purpose the present invention has beendevised, which in general comprises a chute into which a coin isdeposited and in passing therethrough it operates means for closing thecircuit through the motor, and retaining said coin in position to keepsaid closing means in contact for a predetermined time, after which,mechanism operative by the motor releases the coin and permits thecircuit closing mechanism to break the contact thus bringing the motorto a stop. It will be seen therefore, that the coin itself is not usedto close the circuit positively or through its own conductivity butoperates certain devices for this purpose.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a plate, to the under-side ofwhich a chute 2 is fastened by means of a bracket or other suitablesupport. This chute throughout the greater part of its length isinteriorly slightly larger than the coin to be deposited therein andnarrows or tapers at its lower end or outlet, which is of less widththan the diameter of said coin. The chute is preferably insulated fromthe rest of the mechanism and contains a coin tester arranged therein inany well known manner.

A spring 3 is attached to a support 4 mounted on the chute 2 and extendsdownwardly on one of its narrow tapered sides to the outlet, saidtapered side being open. The opposite tapered side is also open butnormally closed by a lever 9 pivoted to swing on the support 1 andcarrying at its upper end a block 10 having an insulating surface.Between the chute 2 and the upper end of the lever 9 is a spring 11tending to force said upper end outwardly for the purpose of closing theopen tapered side of the chute 2.

Fixed to the bottom of the chute 2 is an insulated plate 18 throughwhich passes a screw 7 which forms one of the contactpoints, the otherbeing formed by a platinum strip 6 attached to thelower end of thespring 3, said spring normally closing the open tapered side of thechute opposite the lever 9, thereby holding the platinum strip 6 out ofcontact with the screw 7. One of the lead wires is fastened to the plate18 by a screw 8. The other wire is attached to the support 4 for thespring 8 by a screw 5.

Pivoted to a stud on the underside of the plate 1 is a horizontal lever13, one end of which is provided with a roller 12 arranged to bearagainst the insulated surface of the block 10, while at the opposite endof said lever is a roller 14, bearing against the surface of theperipheral cam 15, the shaft of which is rotated at any desired speed byan electric motor, not shown.

In order that the contact spring 3 may be prevented from accidentallycoming into contact with the contact screw 7 through the inserted coinbecoming jammed or stuck when the releasing movement of the lever 9takes place, the latter is connected with the spring 3 by means of anintermediate rod 16, arranged to engage the spring 3 and positivelyactuate it and thereby break the contact whenever a releasing movementof the lever 9 occurs.

In the operation of the machine, a coin dropped into the chute passesthrough the coin tester and as it approaches the tapered lower end ofthe chute comes in contact with the lever 9 and the spring 3, the latteryielding to the weight of the coin and its momentum is forced outwardlyuntil the platinum strip 6 contacts with the screw 7. At this time, thecoin is in a position indicated by a and as the space between the lever9 and the spring 3 is less than the diameter of the coin, the latter isretained in such position and holds the two contact points closed, thecircuit therefore passing to the motor which operates the mechanism fordelivery of the article vending and at the same time rotates the shaftcarrying the eccentric 15, the latter, as it rotates rocks thehorizontal lever 13, and causes the roller 12 on its upper end to movethe lever 9 to the position indicated by dotted lines, thereby swingingits lower end away from the chute and compressing the spring 11. As thelever 9 leaves the chute, the coin heretofore detained by said lever inthe position indicated by a is released and drops into the coinreceptacle.

he release of the coin also releases the spring 3, which, returning toits initial position, gives the coin a slight lateral movement so thatit drops in the direction indicated by the arrow and the dotted linecircle Z). The circuit being now broken between the screw 7 and platinumstrip 6 the motor comes to a stop and spring 11 returns the lever 9, androller 12 and horizontal lever 13 to initial position, the machine beingthen ready to receive a second coin.

By changing the position of the eccentric 15 on its shaft the time foropening the circuit may be regulated with absolute precision, therebyregulating the duration of time within which the circuit is to remainclosed. All possibility of the coin forming a contact is by this meanspositively prevented, and none of the impurities which may adhere to thecoin can be transferred to the contact.

hat I claim is 1. In a vending machine operated by an electric motor, achute tapered at its lower end on opposite sides and open, a resilientmember adapted to cover one of said open sides and close the electriccircuit through the motor and hold it closed by the pressure of a coinin said chute, a cam operated by the motor, a lever normally closing theopposite tapered side of the coin. chute, and a second lever between thecam and the first named lever for releasing said coin and breaking saidcircuit.

2. In a vending machine operated by an electric motor, a coin chute openon opposite sides at its lower end, movable members adapted to coversaid open sides one of said members closing the circuit through themotor and holding it closed by the pressure of acoin in said chute,means operated by the motor for moving the other member to release saidcoin, and means connecting said members for positively breaking saidcircuit when the coin is released.

3. In a vending machine operated by an electric motor, a coin chute openat its lower end on its opposite side, movable members adapted to coversaid open sides, one of said members being resilient and normallyholding the circuit through the motor open but adapted to close saidcircuit and hold it closed by the pressure of the coin in said chute,means operated by the motor for moving the other member to release saidcoin and break said circuit, and a connection between the two movablemembers for positively breaking the circuitthrough the motor when thecoin is released.

The foregoing specification signed at Berlin, Germany, this fifth day ofFebruary, 1910.

OSCAR OEHRING.

In presence of HENRY HAsPER, WVOLDEMAR HAUPT.

